Ali Bastian: “the epitome of an English rose” of Armenian and Russian descent

I knew Ali Bastian as Becca from a popular Channel 4 TV soap Hollyoaks. I never knew her real name. Watching yesterday BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special, where 6 celebrities compete in an “end of year dancing extravaganza”, it suddenly occured to me that her surname is “ian”. I know, it’s probably genetic, when each time hearing -yan/ian on a non-Armenian TV or event or a news item, our heart beat increases and we start looking for an Armenian heritage and so on and so on :) Yes, I accept this, and that’s exactly what I did. Quick search on Google brings me to this source that Ali Bastian is of Armenian and Russian descent. She is gorgeous and sexy. BBC describes her as “the epitome of an English rose”.

Originally hailing from Windsor, Ali is the epitome of an English rose. She made her first forays into TV with quintessentially English dramas such as Jane Eyre (when she was 10 years old) and A Touch Of Frost.

Ali is best known for playing Becca Dean in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from 2001 to 2007. Becca's most controversial storyline in Hollyoaks saw her fired from her teaching job and sent to prison after having an affair with one of her students.

She did not manage to pass through to the final for Strictly Come Dancing 2009 competition. She was dancing in pair with Brian Fortuna, a professional ballroom dancer and choreographer from the US. Apparently, they are an item too.

[...] But just a week after they were controversially voted off Strictly Come Dancing during the semi-final, Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna have finally confirmed they're an item.

After leaving the BBC show where they met, the couple journeyed to Paris for a romantic city break in the snow.

In an interview with the new issue of Hello! magazine, the couple said they are finally ready to go public with their romance.

In fact, they're getting so serious about each other Brian, 27, has bought Ali, 26, flight tickets to join him at his parents' home in New Jersey for Christmas. [...]

Before finding love with Brian, Ali dated London Irish rugby player Nick Kennedy and her Hollyoaks co-star Kevin Sacre.

But yesterday... she won the ultimate festive Christmas edition of the programme with all judges awarding the highest 10 score + being voted the highest by the audience.


Ali Bastian & Brian Fortuna dance the Viennese Waltz to Please Come Home For Christmas.


The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 2009 Champions are crowned.


*picture - via Ali Bastian fan site